Let the battle of the bulge begin

Spring has sprung and with it the realisation hiding the winter weight under puffer jackets is no longer an option. Despite several attempts at getting fit - and multiple promises to maintain it - Otago Daily Times and Queenstown Times bureau chief Tracey Roxburgh today begins another fitness challenge - Alpine Health and Fitness' Revive programme.

Dear Diary, I have fallen off the wagon. Again.

I think I might be one of those people who never makes the same mistake twice - I make it five or six times just to be sure.

In fairness, it wasn't ALL my fault ... I was doing quite well back in 2010. The scales threw up a number I hadn't seen since I was 16, I got to go into shops, try on clothes and have them fit me (instead of being the "in-between size" I had become accustomed to) and I was, I think, a nicer person in general.

Then I face-planted at a local establishment (this was most certainly not my fault and may the woman who decided to leave the tap in the women's bathroom on full thereby flooding the tiled floors and turning the surface into an ice rink read this and feel very, very bad about her actions) and in the process I broke a rib or two.

That was really the beginning of the end of my career as a fit (ish) person.

The next thing I knew it was 2012 and I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've visited the gym in the past 12 months.

I did have the best of intentions - in fact, I was a member at not one, but TWO gyms for a while ... I just never seemed to find the time to visit either of them.

The turning point was when I found this top I bought in June 2010 and thought I might like to wear it.

I was sick of wearing my "work uniform" everywhere, so I put the top on.

I couldn't do it up.

In fact, I couldn't even get the two pieces of fabric to meet in the middle.

I realised the reason I wore my "work uniform" everywhere was because it fitted me.

It was at that moment I decided I had NOT spent an exorbitant amount of money on one item of clothing for it to hang in my wardrobe as my "motivation" because "one day I will fit back into it".

There was only one thing for it ... another 12-week challenge.

So, Diary, I enlisted for the Revive programme and I have spent the past three weeks psyching myself up for it.

This time it's going to be different.

This time I'm going to try a new thing ... it's called positivity.

I have a Gym Buddy and we're going to keep each other motivated and I have spoken to many others who promise, now they know I'm going to be at the gym, they will come too.

I will hold them to this promise and if they stand me up I'm going to tell you all about them, Diary.

It's spring now, so it's going to be MUCH easier this time around to get myself out of bed at stupid o'clock in the morning and I have the gorgeous Haylee Roberts as my personal trainer.

I had a wee nosey at some photos she put on the internet of her group from the Revive challenge last year and I was heartened to see in many of the pictures her group had glasses of wine in their hands ... I think Haylee and I are going to get on like a house on fire!

Let the games begin ... week one starts now.